title: Nitrogen-doped pyrolytic carbon films as highly electrochemically active electrodes.
abstract: Nitrogen-doped Pyrolytic Carbon (N-PyC) films were employed as an electrode material in electrochemical applications. PyC was grown by via non-catalysed chemical vapour deposition and subsequently functionalised via exposure to ammonia-hydrogen plasma. The electrochemical properties of the N-PyC films were investigated using the ferri/ferro-cyanide and hexaamine ruthenium(III) chloride redox probes. Exceptional electron transfer properties were observed and quantified for the N-PyC compared to the as-grown films. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed the presence of nitrogen in edge plane graphitic configurations and the surface of the N-PyC was investigated using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The excellent electrochemical performance of the N-PyC, in addition to its ease of preparation, renders this material ideal for applications in electrochemical sensing.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Adaptive Nanostructures and Nanodevices (CRANN) & Advanced Materials Bio-Engineering Research Centre (AMBER), Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland. duesberg@tcd.ie.
authors.forename: Hugo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.forename: Gareth P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Keeley
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Callaghan
authors.forename: Cormac
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGuinness
authors.forename: Georg S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Duesberg
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000737:chemistry; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004566:Electrodes; D006859:Hydrogen / Q000737:chemistry; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000737:chemistry*; D055585:Physical Phenomena; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D002244:Carbon; D000641:Ammonia; D006859:Hydrogen; D009584:Nitrogen